What is the main purpose of blanching vegetables?

Blanching vegetables primarily serves to preserve their color, flavor, and nutritional value. This cooking technique involves briefly boiling the vegetables and then rapidly cooling them in ice water. By doing so, the vibrant colors of vegetables are retained, as the heat deactivates enzymes that can lead to discoloration and nutrient loss. Moreover, blanching helps to lock in flavors and textures, making vegetables more appealing and ensuring they maintain their health benefits.

While enhancing flavor with spices, altering texture completely, and freezing them for later use can be aspects of cooking and food preparation, they do not capture the main objective of blanching. The essence of this technique lies in its ability to prepare vegetables for further cooking, freezing, or serving, while maintaining their best attributes, making choice B the most accurate response.